April 8, Freep: “(DNR director Rodney) Stokes stressed that no plans are final yet on the funding or state spending on the 985-acre park that is one of Detroit's major jewels. He hopes to meet with city officials in the next 30 days to review annual costs and map out which infrastructure improvements are needed.”

State recreation passports are a $10 add-on to a license plate fee that gives a residents access to 99 state parks.

Last May, City Councilman James Tate proposed a $2 or $3 vehicle entrance fee and allowing private companies to operate a carnival, but neither idea panned out. According to the Associated Press, past attempts to approve a fee for the park in the Detroit River have failed as well.

More than 100,000 fans attended the Grand Prix in both 2007 and 2008, pumping an estimated $50 million annually into the regional economy. But organizers indefinitely postponed the event in 2009, citing a lack of sponsorships resulting from a sluggish economy.